Michelle Zylstra is entering her second year as an assistant coach at Yale for Joel E. Smilow Class of 1954 Head Coach Chris Gobrecht. She assists with post player development, and is responsible for the team's film exchange program and community service activities.

Prior to beginning her coaching career at Yale, Zylstra was an Educational Consultant for the National Football League, where she was responsible for development and implementation of educational plans for players on 10 NFL teams, including the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys. In addition, Zylstra served as an Academic Coach for the National Football Foundation's "Play It Smart" program at Wauconda High School in Wauconda, Ill., where her responsibilities included college preparation and community service activities for team members.

Zylstra, a 2004 graduate of Northwestern University, was a starter and four-year letterwinner for the Wildcats. She was voted captain her senior year and finished her career in the top ten in three-pointers attempted (245), three-pointers made (84), and three-point field goal percentage (34.4 percent). During her stay in Evanston, she received the prestigious Roger and Mildred White Endowed Scholarship for outstanding service to athletics and for contributions of inspiration, leadership, and allegiance to the women's basketball program.